1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic hand held games and in particular to an electronic puzzle, wherein the field of play consists of a plurality of playing positions that are mapped on the surface of the puzzle device, and wherein each playing position includes an indicator. The field of play is divided into sectors, each of which includes one or a plurality of indicators. Further, a sector could be a segment of a two-dimensional array of indicators, a side of a three-dimensional field of play, such as a cube, or a segment of a play field mapped on the surface of a three-dimensional spherical shape, such as a sphere, an egg or a cone. Furthermore, each indicator could assume a plurality of indicating states, and each indicating state is represented by one, or a plurality of visual indications, such as images or colors. The puzzle device, also, includes a plurality of control points to enable a player to manipulate the states of the indicators. The control points include switches located on the field of play, however, it is not necessary to have a control point at each playing position.
It is possible, by manipulating the controls in a particular manner or pattern, and by observing the resulting effect on the indicators, to determine a pattern of control activation's which results in the sectors of indicators attaining different indicating states, such that all the indictors belonging to a sector reach an identical indicating state. Because each indicating state is represented by one, or a plurality of colors or images, it is possible to provide a game objective, wherein all the indicators on the play field indicate the same color or image, or in the alternative a game objective wherein each sector displays a different color or image, i.e., a different visual indication.
Various puzzles are known wherein a plurality of playing pieces of various colors are connected together in a geometric shape, and are manipulated by the player so that pieces of the same color are grouped together. However, these puzzles involving the grouping of multiple color pieces are of mechanical designs, and to the inventor's knowledge have not been implemented by “state of the art” electronics, i.e., integrated circuits, microprocessors, etc., which are presently available. An example of such mechanical puzzles is the Rubik Cube, which employs six different colors. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an electronic puzzle device, capable of operating with many color configurations ranging from a minimum of two colors to three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or more colors, and with a versatile game objective that includes attaining a single color or image at all indicators, attaining a different color or image at each sector or subset of indicators, and/or attaining other predefined patterns of colors or images.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the last ten years, a number of patents have been issued related to electronic handheld puzzles that employ a field of play divided into a plurality of playing positions, and wherein each playing position includes a switch and an indicator. These patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,286,037; 5,417,425; 5,564,702; 5,573,245, and 5,603,500. However, with the exception of U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,037, the remaining patents relate to indicators that are limited to only two indicating states, and require a logical element at each playing position that defines a fixed geometric relationship between a switch and a group of indicators. The puzzles described by these patents suffer from a limited number of colors, and need a controlling switch at each playing position. Also, while the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,037 provides additional colors, and a dynamic variable relationship between switches and indicators, such relationship is not obvious to the player, and each playing position requires a logical element defined as the “routing square” to create a dynamic relationship between switches and indicators.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art. It does not require a switch at each playing position, and it does not require a logical element to define a fixed or dynamic geometric relationship between switches and indicators. Further, the present invention provides an increased number of colors or images playable by the puzzle device than can be provided by the prior art. Such increase in the number of colors or images is accomplished without a corresponding increase in complexity.